Suction cleaner having one-piece agitator drive embracing converter



Sept. 7, 1954 .1. E. VANCE 2,638,148

SUCTION CLEANER HAVING ONE-PIECE AGITATOR DRIVE EMBRACING CONVERTER Filed May 13, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig: I

INVENTOR. Johh E I/GIZCG Sept. 7, 1954 J. E. VANCE 2,688,148

SUCTION CLEANER HAVING ONE-PIECE AGITATOR DRIVE EMBRACING CONVERTER Filed May 15, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. John E Vance BY W S, mam

ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 7, 1954 SUCTION CLEANER HAVING ONE-PIECE AGITATOR DRIVE EMBRACING CON- VERTER NT QFFICE John E. Vance, North Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application May 13, 1950, Serial No. 161,840

4 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to the art of suction cleaning apparatuses and more particularly to the suction cleaning apparatus of the type which is customarily manipulated over a surface to be cleaned by means of a manipulating handle and is provided with auxiliary apparatus to convert the apparatus from on-the-fioor to ofi-the-floor cleaning operation.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a suction cleaning conversion structure which may be inserted into the air passageway laterally of the drive belt for a surface agitating structure between the fan inlet and the suction nozzle and then rotated or suitably manipulated in a manner to lock the converter into the cleaning apparatus and simultaneously to embrace the drive belt without touching the same and to block 01? the surface cleaning nozzle from the fan inlet.

It is a further object of'the invention to provide a converting apparatus for suction cleaners in which the converting tool may be constructed from tubular stock and suitably cut and formed to lock the same to a cleaner body and also to shut off the suction air passageway around the agitator drive belt without engaging said belt.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view partly in section illustrating an apparatus embodying my invention with the converter tool inserted but not straddling the agitator drive belt;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 1 but showing the converter in its operating locked position;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the converter tool embodying my invention; and

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4 l of Figure 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to Figure 1, for illustrative purposes, my invention is shown applied to a known type of suction cleaning apparatus such as that illustrated and described in the United States patent to Troxler No. 2,345,514 issued March 28, 1944:. A suction cleaning apparatus of this type is particularly characterized in that the axis of the drive motor is substantially parallel to the long axis of the suction nozzle. herein, the suction cleaning apparatus comprises an elongated suction air cleaning nozzle it communicating through an air duct 2 with the suction inlet 3 of a suction air fan 4 which is driven by an electrical motor, not shown. The fan 4 is As illustrated housed within a casing shown in outline at 1 which communicates with an exhaust duct 8 connected to a suitable air filtering and dirt trapping element 9. A manipulating handle It is pivotally supported upon a bracket ll mounted above the exhaust duct 8 and rearwardly of the fan and motor housing l. The cleaning structure is supported by suitable wheels 22. The suction air fan d is carried on a drive shaft [5 which projects through the suction inlet 3 of the fan and is formed on its outer end with a pulley section it for driving a belt ii. A suitable surface brushing and/or agitating device 20 is rotatably mounted within the suction air nozzle 1 in a manner to enable the same to engage and agitate a surface covering such as the carpet undergoing cleaning. The rotary agitating and brushing device it: is driven by the belt ll, consequently, the surface undergoing cleaning is subjected to the cleaning sheet of the suction air and the mechanical effect of agitating and brushing during the cleaning operation. In the use of the cleaning device, dirt laden air from the nozzle I flows through the duct 2, which is positioned at one side of the cleaning structure, into the fan i from which it discharges through the duct 8 into the filter 9.

The foregoing structure comprises a handle manipulated surface cleaning device which is particularly adapted for cleaning and condition ing carpets or other fabrics or surface coverings. It is frequently desirable to utilize suction cleaning devices to clean materials normally elevated above the floor such as draperies, window sills, window ledges and the like. For this purpose it is desirable to render the suction nozzle 5 substantially inoperative and to use an air cleaning nozzle connected with the suction cleaning apparatus through a suitable flexible hose. My invention is particularly directed to a novel structure by which a converting tool is attached to the cleaner for accomplishing this result.

My converting tool comprises a tubular body portion 22 having an enlarged outer end section 23 adapted to be connected to a flexible hose or wand in a known manner. The shank portion 2d of the converter is smaller than the section 23 and constitutes the portion thereof which actually enters into and connects to the suction cleaning apparatus. The lower portion of the section E l is cut away to form a half-round section defined by the boundary edges 25 and 2G. The bottom portion of the section 24 may if desired have an inturned base seating flange 21 for a purpose to be described more fully hereinafter.

The edge 26 of the convertingtool is provided with a pair of spaced apart slots 28 which are adapted to receive the belt I! in a manner to be described more fully hereinafter.

A guide groove 30 is formed in the section 24 of the converter tool just inwardly of the edge 25 thereof and extends from its lower end parallel to the axis of the tube to a point above the out out section thereof at which point the groove 30 joins a right angularly related locking groove 3| extending in a direction which is generally normal to the axis of the tube 23-24.

The upper wall 34 of the air passageway 2 is provided with an opening defined by an upstanding flange 35. The passageway formed by the shoulder 35 is inclined forwardly and upwardly so that it makes an acute angle with the line drawn between the center of rotation of the pulley I and the agitator 20. The inner end of the passageway formed by the flange 35 is adapted to be closed by a suitable closure plate 36 which is pivotally mounted on a pin 31 and is biased to closed position by a torsion spring 38. A guiding and latching pin 40 projects through the rear portion of the shoulder 35 from a leaf spring 4| riveted as shown at 42 to an offset portion of the flange 35. The spring 4| is biased so as to project the pin 49 into the passageway formed by the flange 35.

The bottom wall 44 of the passageway 2 is formed with an angularly positioned seat 45 for a purpose to be described hereinafter.

When it is desired to insert the converter 22 the same is inserted within the flange 35 with the pin 40 engaging in the longitudinal groove 30. This positions the half round portion of the converter laterally outwardly of the belt ll. A downward pressure now applied to the converter slides the same into the pasagew'ay 2 until the flange 2? engages in the seat 45 at which time the converter is fully inserted but is positioned entirely to one side of the belt I1, is not locked in place, and does not cut off the suction air fan 4 from the nozzle I. Once the flange 21 is engaged in the seat 45, a rotational movement of the converter 22 pivots the same with the flange 2! and seat 45 forming a bearing about its longitudinal axis to the position illustrated in Figure 2 under which circumstances the open face of the half round portion of the converter faces toward the fan inlet 3 and the solid portion thereof is directly across and blocking the passage 2 so as to cut off the nozzle I from the suction fan 4. It is apparent from the illustration in Figure 1 that the slots 23 are positioned to receive the belt I! as the converter is rotated. Rotation of the inserted converter shifts it to the position illustrated in Figure 2 in which the belt runs are within but clear of the inner margins of the slots 28. As the converter 22 is 1'0- tated to engage the belt the pin 40 slides in the right angularly positioned slot 3| to lock the converter in operative position.

The inner wall 47 of the passageway 2 is provided with a pair of projections 48 which are positioned to lie Within the outer ends of the slot 28 when the converter is in its final operating position. These elements are close to the belt but spaced therefrom to allow a running clearance during all operating conditions, consequently the belt is encased within the slots 28 and above the projections 48 when the converter is in use except for a slight running clearance therearound which is too small to interfere with the suction effect through the converter tool.

Figure 4 illustrates the converter in operative position and shows clearly the relation of the projections 48 to the belt and belt receiving slots 28. It is also apparent, from this figure, that the belt is close to the inner wall 41 of the air duct 2, thus allowing ample space for the converter to pass between the belt and outer wall 49 of the duct 2 as long as the guide pin 40 is engaged in groove 30. Once the converter is inserted to the full extent, a simple rotation latches the converter in final operating position.

While I have illustrated and described the invention in considerable detail, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in the arrangement, proportion and construction of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a suction cleaning apparatus having a surface cleaning suction nozzle, a mechanical surface cleaning means in said nozzle, a suction air pump, an air duct for conveying dirt laden air from said nozzle to said air pump, and means for driving said mechanical cleaning means extending through said duct, the combination of a port in a wall of said duct for the insertion of a tool for converting the apparatus for offthe-floor cleaning, a converting tool for insertion into said duct through said port comprising a tubular body having an integral projecting barrier section half-round in cross-section, said barrier section having diametrically spaced longitudinal edges defining an open side thereof communicating with said tubular body, said barrier section being dimensioned to extend across said air duct between said nozzle and said air pump to block air flow therebetween when said open side is directed toward said air pump, a groove extending longitudinally of said barrier section and terminating in a groove extending circumferentially of said tubular body, a pin on said air duct projecting into said port to engage said groove, said pin and groove being positioned to guide said barrier section into said duct on one side of said drive means until said barrier section is fully inserted in said duct and said pin is aligned with said circumferential groove, whereby said converting tool may be rotated to place said barrier section with the open side thereof facing toward said air pump, and said projecting section being recessed to embrace said drive means when rotated across said duct.

2. A converting tool for converting suction cleaning apparatus for off-the-fioor cleaning comprising a tubular body portion having an integral barrier section half-round in crosssection projecting therefrom, said barrier section having diametrically spaced longitudinal edges defining an open side thereof communicating with said tubular body portion, a pair of circumferentially extending notches in one longitudinal edge of said barrier section, a groove extending from the free end of said barrier section axially thereof to said body portion and a second groove extending angularly with respect to said first mentioned groove and joined thereto.

3. In a suction cleaning apparatus of the type having a surface cleaning suction nozzle, a suction air pump, an air duct for admitting a converter tool for converting the apparatus for offthe-fioor operation, a mechanical surface cleaning device in said nozzle, drive means for said mechanical cleaning means including a drive pulley adjacent said air pump and a drive belt 5. extending from said pulley through said air duct, the combination of a one-piece converter tool consisting of a tubular portion adapted to seat in said opening and an integral projecting barrier section provided with notches in one edge thereof spaced and shaped to receive portions of the drive belt to allow free movement of the belt and to block'significant air flow along the length of the belt between the belt and edges of the notches, said barrier section being shaped to extend across said air duct between said nozzle and said pulley with the flights of said belt received in said notches to block air flow from said nozzle to said air pump, said barrier section having a dimension less than the distance between said belt and one wall of said duct when rotated relatively to the air flow blocking position thereof, and means for guiding said barrier section into said air duct between said belt and said one wall of said air duct with said barrier section positioned to clear said belt until said tubular portion is seated in said opening and said barrier section is fully inserted in said air duct whereby a rotary motion applied to said tool References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,183,379 Taylor Jan. 30, 1940 2,375,212 Carlson May 8, 1945 2,449,997 Hahn et a1 Sept. 28, 1948 2,487,443 Hough Nov. 8, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 61,308 Netherlands July 15, 1948 

